Designs after Kôrin 1907

Editor: Here we have Furuya Kōrin's "Designs after Kōrin," a print from 1907 housed in the Rijksmuseum. The dark blue cover is so simple. What do you see in this work? Curator: I see a fascinating interplay between homage and self-assertion. This book of prints is not simply a reproduction of Ogata Kōrin's designs, but a conscious engagement with a legacy. Furuya Kōrin is actively positioning himself within, or perhaps even *against*, the established artistic canon. How might we interpret that label, its placement so centrally, as a declaration of ownership, or perhaps an acknowledgement of cultural debt? Editor: I hadn't thought about it that way. I was just seeing a beautiful cover. So, are you saying that choosing to recreate Kōrin’s designs so many years later could be read as a political statement? Curator: Precisely. Consider the social landscape of early 20th-century Japan, a time of rapid modernization and western influence. Looking back to earlier artists like Kōrin can be seen as a form of cultural preservation, or even resistance. The act of design, reproduction, and circulation become a political act. What tensions might exist between honoring tradition and forging a new artistic identity? Editor: That gives me a lot to think about, especially with regards to cultural ownership and the role of artists within shifting societal norms. It seems like a simple image but reflects complex power dynamics! Curator: Indeed. It reveals how seemingly straightforward artistic gestures are intertwined with broader questions of identity, legacy, and cultural power.